Shock absorber



0. YOUSE SHOCK ABSORBER Filed April 1926 V 2 w H R 3 1 1 F Fl ml I T Oscaryouse (a g K W ATTOfF/Vf) Nov. 29, 1927. a

os vonsn, or ANGOLA,- Iranians.

snocn Ansonnnn.

Application filed April 1, 1926. Serial No. 99,046.

invention relates to shock absorbers and :aoreespecially to shock absorbers operating underpneumatic compression and which are suitable for, sustaining the load a against extreme relative movement of the same and the support therefor, as in use of I the absorber for avoiding extreme collapse of a vehicle spring or asudden and violent reactionfrom the said collapse.

m It is therefore an object of my invention to provide, a shock absorber comprising thereina cylinder having one closed and one open end and a piston playing therein, these two parts being attached "to members of the.

w relatively movable load and support thererelieving or for, .and mechanism, controlled by the pressure in the closed end of the cylinder, for increasing the pressure above the piston, in accordance with the movement m of the latter in the cylinder.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a shock absorber comprising a piston and. cylinder construction having entrance and relief pipes for communication with the closed end ofthe cylinder above the piston, these pipes-having controlling valves therein actuated by means that is operated by the movement of the piston,

intermediacy of pump-mechanism for vary ing the internal as: will befullyexplained. I

It is a still further ob'ect of my improvements to utilize an electric current for op-- pump for providcrating or controlling the ing increased pressure inthe piston cylinder of my. absorber, there being suitable switches for closing-or breaking the said .circu'it whichv are automatically operated by the piston. in its movement relative to the cylinder. .1 r

With these and other objects in view I have devised the construction hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompanyin drawings inwhich iigure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of my improved cylinder and piston mem hers with attached.parts;.

Figure 2 isa diagrammatic representation .of my shock" bsorber with related-strucbeing shown partly in section and all parts shown on a smaller scale than in Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 guide. My invention is applicable to venous conatructions in w- 'ing connected directly through the pressure of -the cylinder,

tures for itscontrol, the pistonandjcylinder is a detail view of the valvehich parts are mounted for yielding movement relative to each other, i

and for purposes of illustration, 1 have the spring 7, respectively, the piston rod beto the part 8 which may be the axle of a vehicle. a

1 provide underneath the car or other vehicle, preferably a storage casing 01' reserat voir 9 which is in communication .with the cylinder 5 by a pipe 10 suitably attached to a valve tube 11 in which is encased a valve 12'within the cylinder and carrying a rod 13 having a movable guide 14 which is nor- 7o mally held at its outermost position in the tube 11 by a coiled expansion spring'15 tending to separate 14 from a shoulder 16 adjacent the valve opening 17. This tends to normally close this valve 12 and to open the latter only when the pressure in the pipe 10 against the surface of the valve 12 is sufficient to overcome the force of the. spring 15 tending to close said valve. The pressure in the pipeJlO is controlled by the pressure in the reservoir 9 which latter is varied somewhat by means to be described later. The guide 14 for the rod is provided merely for its guiding function, it being quite open in outline, as-shown in Fig. 3. w At another portion of the cylinder 5,as at a point opposite the valve 12, is provided an outwardly-opening valve 18 which is movable lengthwise of a skeleton frame 19 whoselongitudinal openings 20 may wellbe large enough to permit assemblage of the valve parts. This frame has an end piece 21 provided with an aperture 22 adapted to receive therein the guide rod 23 of the valve. 1

The frame is connected with the cylinder wall by an opening 24 having an outward seat 25 against which the valve 18 is normally pressed by a coil spring 26 mounted about the rod 23. It is my purpose to make the normal pressureof this spring against.

terna y threaded to receive thereon oneor morenuts 29, against the innermost one of which the rear 'end of the spring 26 is held,

'so that relative rotation of the nuts on the no sleeve will compress or release the spring, dependin on the direction of rotation.

The re 23 extends outside of the and is provided with an aperture for a urppse later to be explained. So far as as een explained, the internal-pressure of 'pipe 31 from a pump 32. The latter is operated by a piston 33 connected to a crank pin 34 on a disc 35 actuated, by the clutch member 36. The clutch mate 37 is actuated by shaft 38 driven from gear 39 in turn driven from engine shaft 40. This pump mechanism is controlled by shifting the clutch member 37 into or out of engagement with member 36, as may well be done by lever 41 ivoted to the frame at 42, and the other en of the lever actuated by link 43 from the piston 44 working in chamber 45 and normally pressed toward the reservoir wall b coil spring 46, and yielding to increase internal ressure in the reservoir to release the clutc and thereby stop the operation of the pump. It will thus be seen that abnormally low pressure in the reservoir 9 will start the pump, and eventually increase such pressure to normal. The shaft 38 rotates continuously while the engine is running.

Since the internal pressure of the reservoir will vary with the flow therefrom in the pipe 10, it is clear that the operationof the valve 12 will determine indirectly whether the pump 32 will be in commission. To control this flow through pi e 10, a valve 47 is provided to open or c ose entrance from the reservoir into 10. This valve 47 is-actuated to remain in a normally open position by a solenoid at 48, and controlled by an electric circuit 49, as will now be explained. This circuit is electrified by a batte 50 and may be opened or closed b switches 51 or 52. f The former is operated by connection with the aperture 30 of rod 23, and is closed when the valve 18 is closed which is its normal position as shown in Fig. 1, and switch 52 is also normally closed as shown in Fig. 1 but will be actuated to open by the fallmg of the piston 54. When both these switches are closed, the valve 47 will be opened, fluid will flow from 9into 10,

'and the consequent lower pressure in 9 will start the ump.

Operat1on: -Normally, the nuts 29 are adjusted so that the compression of sprin 26 is just suflicient to close valve 18, an

such normal pressure in the cylinder will also close valve 12, the pressure in the pipe 10 and in the valve tube 11 being normally too weak to overcome the tendency of the cylinder pressure to close 12. The nuts 29 crease, and eventually the pum ing of the valve 18, and t e switch 52 being opened by the falling of the piston 54 operating the arm 53 of the latter switch. This switch 52 is normally closed by internal spring force of conventional character.

With now the switches both closed as indicated in Fig. 2, assuming that the piston rod 6 forces the piston 54 violently upward, as by the collapse of the spring 7, the internal pressure in' the cylinder above the piston will be greatly increased, valve 18 will open to cause relief of said pressure, and at the same time, switch 51 will open. Under these conditions, the circuit is broken and the valve 47 is closed, as it always remains while the circuit 49 is broken for any reason. The pump 32 therefore remains idle because of the pressure in 9 remaining at normal or above.

With the reaction which is inevitable, the piston 54 descends rarefying the fluid in the cylinder, causing valve 18 to close again and switch 51 to close. When the piston'54 def scends the switch 52-will remain closed at first, and at the same time valve 12 opens, permitting fluid to flow from 9 through 10 and 11 into the cylinder, since the valve 47 is now opened. But when the piston 54 descends far enough, it will open the switch 52, opening the circuit and permitting the valve 47 .to close, the pressure in 9 to inwill sto The pump-32 will now remain i le until t e condition a ain exists where the circuit 49 will again e closed whereby the valve 47' will be again opened by the solenoid 48.

My improved structuretherefore provides a cushioning effect by the piston and cylin -der structure to greatly modify the sudden resistance of the sprin 7 supporting the weight ofthe load yiel mgly upon the axle 8 or other bar. But my improved structure provides more than the usual pneumatic resistance to modify the action of the spring.

.It provides in addition to such resistance automatic mechanism for returning one of the members of such mechanism to a normal position relative to the other element of such mechanism, thus not only greatly increasin the throw of the piston within the cy inder, but also quite forcibly and definitely limiting the reaction from such movement of the elements in either direction, the latter affording a real efi'ective snubbin action.

The increasing in the throw of piston 54 due to jolt or violent thrust .of the piston into the cylinder, above what it would have without my improved automatic mechanism including the valves 12 and 18, is due Ill starts in 'its upward thrust, the valve 18 opens and releases some of the cylinder-fluid,

thus permitting the piston to travel to a' greater length of stroke than itwould travel otherwlse. Also, when the piston descends as the result-of the reaction following such thrust, the inflow of fluid through 12 permits a greater descent of the piston than it would have otherwise. It'is tobe understood that,

after such a violent jolt, my improved automatic structure associated with the piston and cylinder, will gradually return the piston to its former normal position in the cylinder where the valves 12 and 18 are both closed, the vvalve 17 open and thescircuit 49 closed, while the pump 32 will be idle in which condition it will remain until the pres-'- sure in 9 is again reduced. V i

No detailed means for mounting the shock absorber members between yielding. mova-.

ble elements are shown, as my structure may be used between many kinds of relatively movableelements. It is here shown as used on a vehicle, but its use is by no means confined to such device. l-

Having thus. described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-) w 1.A shock absorber mounted between a load and its support and comprising. a pieton mounted for movement in a cylinder having one op'en'and one closed end, a source of compressed fluid, an electric circuit and solenoid "for controlling the flow of fluid from saidsour'ce 1 to the closed end of the cylinder, means actuated by the piston to open: said circuit and prevent said flow when thecylinder fluidis abnormally rarefied or compressed, to'close the circuit and permit saidfiow when such cylinder fluid 1s at normal pressure and the pressure of fluid at said source abnormall high.

, 2; A pneumatic shock absor r comprising a piston working in a cylinder having one open and. one closed end, in combination with acompressed fluid reservoir, a pump for filling said reservoir, means automatically controlled by the pressure in the reservoir for actuating the pump, electrically-contrOlled means .for automatically opening the'passage from the said reservoir to the closed end of said cylinder when the cylinder fluid is abnormally rarefied and for closing such passage when the cylinder fluid isunduly compressed.

3. A pneumatic shock a piston mounted for movement in a cylmde'r having an open and a closed end, a release valve in said closed end, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said closed end and an electrical solenoid circuit for controlling said supply means, in combination with two switches in said circuit one mounted on the open end of said cylinder and the other connected with said release valve, both switchesbeing normally closed, means actuated by abnormal pressure in said closed end of the cylinder for opening the switch connected with the release valve and meansactuated by the piston in its extreme OSCAR. rouse.

absorber comprising 

